Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.

That the proposed approach to managing the transition from the current Dorset Council Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy to the next statutory strategy, be approved, and that authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Executive Director of Housing, Communities and Prevention, to approve the updated interim Action Plan for publication in Autumn 2026.

Reason for decision

Developing our new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy would provide excellent opportunities to further build upon and expand our Prevention and Communities agenda as part of the newly formed Housing, Communities and Prevention Directorate.

The Cabinet Member for Housing presented a report on the transition from Dorset Council’s current Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, adopted in July 2021 and due to expire in July 2026. She noted that, while work had begun on a successor strategy the government published its national plan to end homelessness in December 2025, emphasising prevention, accountability, and measurable outcomes. Detailed guidance for local authorities followed in May 2026.

It was therefore proposed to maintain momentum by continuing delivery against existing objectives while developing a new strategy aligned with the national framework and guidance.

In response to a question, the Director for Assurance and Governance advised that failure to publish its successor strategy within the statutory timeframe would pose a legal risk. However, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had indicated it would not take compliance action where strategies lapsed during the transition provided authorities were actively developing a replacement and intended to publish an updated action plan in autumn 2026.

Addressing a further question, the Interim Corporate Director for Housing noted that the central government toolkit for developing the action plan had been received late, but officers were now progressing this work and remained on track to meet the autumn deadline as set out in the report.

In terms of the timeline for the strategy, external advisors had been engaged to support the development of the strategy in order to meet the July 2027 due date.

In response to a question regarding the Overview Committee’s involvement in respect of the development of the plan, the Cabinet Member was happy to discuss this matter with the appropriate Chair. 

It was proposed by Cllr N Ireland and seconded by Cllr M Bell.

Decision

That the proposed approach to managing the transition from the current Dorset Council Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy to the next statutory strategy, be approved, and that authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Executive Director of Housing, Communities and Prevention, to approve the updated interim Action Plan for publication in Autumn 2026.

Reason for decision

Developing our new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy would provide excellent opportunities to further build upon and expand our Prevention and Communities agenda as part of the newly formed Housing, Communities and Prevention Directorate.